"But, Mrs. Mulwray, I goddamn nearlost my nose. And I like it. I like breathing through it."
-Jake Gittes, or Jack Nicholson, said this
So there's detective movies...and then there's Chinatown. I mean, if all the L.A. Confidentials and Scooby Doo's and Humphrey Bogarts got together in a genial orgy of shrouded mystery and from it was manifested a superhuman, fire-breathing testimonial of the true spirit of the Detective...that little trooper could never stand the test of time against Chinatown. Call me biased! Call me a kiss-ass! Call me names because I've got a fetish! But when it comes down to it, I just find this film to be virtually flawless. And I'm very critical when it comes to film due in part to the attention to detail that was instilled in me by the man who calls me his "son". A con-artist lost in space who would spill a 40 ounce of Private Stock on my head while we watched "A Clockwork Orange" together. In retrospect, a good move! But totally irresponsible.
Now when it comes to Chinatown, every angle of it seems like Polanski and his colleagues perpetrated it with clockwork precision. From the screenplay to the performances and right down to the cinematography. What has happened here is that the film noir genre has been reinvented but at the same time all of its traditions have been left intact. Its a contemporary take on the whole idea with the ability to remain consistent with the 1940's. This makes it timeless because it can work in any era.
Then there's Jack Nicholson who serves as the center of the universe in this film. A guy who we could talk nonsense about for generations. About his mastership of the craft and so on but there's something about him here that really got me and its this: What self-respecting actor would wear a whale of a bandage on their face for half the movie while simultaneously being in the leading role? You know who? A DAMN WISE MAN!!! Someone who knows how to add depth and honesty to their character with the guts to reinforce that with a discomforting repugnance. It could be funny but he looks at the damage done to his nose as a serious matter, remaining confoundedly cynical and sticking to his respective code of ethics.
Uh...you've got something on your face.
Then we have the woman who in this case is Faye Dunaway. Pale as a ghost, apprehensive, and smokin' hot but after awhile, you recognize that she doesn't have it in for Jack and that she can be trusted. The woman who throws you off your balance, makes you question yourself, your values. The hidden meaning that harrows up the soul and takes on a hypnotic sexuality.
Evelyn's Got A Gun
Another notable performance is John Huston as Noah Cross, an evil-disposed but charming and polished old man.
Noah Likes Cookies!
The plot is a form of elegance and from end to end, appears to be inconceivable. But not everything is what it seems. Its all summed up with high-wrought logic, which is due to Robert Towne's screenplay. A man with skill! He wrote a film, a period piece with all the right moves that captivates you. That makes you care.
The aesthetics of Chinatown fall back on a sensitive and passionate devotion to this kind of film, which Polanski has orchestrated with his own testament and tour de force to a time in our history long dead and buried.
Chinatown: Bang A Gong, Get It On
A Deep-Massage Like Analysis by Liam Walsh"But, Mrs. Mulwray, I goddamn near lost my nose. And I like it. I like breathing through it."
-Jake Gittes, or Jack Nicholson, said this
So there's detective movies...and then there's Chinatown. I mean, if all the L.A. Confidentials and Scooby Doo's and Humphrey Bogarts got together in a genial orgy of shrouded mystery and from it was manifested a superhuman, fire-breathing testimonial of the true spirit of the Detective...that little trooper could never stand the test of time against Chinatown. Call me biased! Call me a kiss-ass! Call me names because I've got a fetish! But when it comes down to it, I just find this film to be virtually flawless. And I'm very critical when it comes to film due in part to the attention to detail that was instilled in me by the man who calls me his "son". A con-artist lost in space who would spill a 40 ounce of Private Stock on my head while we watched "A Clockwork Orange" together. In retrospect, a good move! But totally irresponsible.
Now when it comes to Chinatown, every angle of it seems like Polanski and his colleagues perpetrated it with clockwork precision. From the screenplay to the performances and right down to the cinematography. What has happened here is that the film noir genre has been reinvented but at the same time all of its traditions have been left intact. Its a contemporary take on the whole idea with the ability to remain consistent with the 1940's. This makes it timeless because it can work in any era.
Then there's Jack Nicholson who serves as the center of the universe in this film. A guy who we could talk nonsense about for generations. About his mastership of the craft and so on but there's something about him here that really got me and its this: What self-respecting actor would wear a whale of a bandage on their face for half the movie while simultaneously being in the leading role? You know who? A DAMN WISE MAN!!! Someone who knows how to add depth and honesty to their character with the guts to reinforce that with a discomforting repugnance. It could be funny but he looks at the damage done to his nose as a serious matter, remaining confoundedly cynical and sticking to his respective code of ethics.
Then we have the woman who in this case is Faye Dunaway. Pale as a ghost, apprehensive, and smokin' hot but after awhile, you recognize that she doesn't have it in for Jack and that she can be trusted. The woman who throws you off your balance, makes you question yourself, your values. The hidden meaning that harrows up the soul and takes on a hypnotic sexuality.
Another notable performance is John Huston as Noah Cross, an evil-disposed but charming and polished old man.
The plot is a form of elegance and from end to end, appears to be inconceivable. But not everything is what it seems. Its all summed up with high-wrought logic, which is due to Robert Towne's screenplay. A man with skill! He wrote a film, a period piece with all the right moves that captivates you. That makes you care.
The aesthetics of Chinatown fall back on a sensitive and passionate devotion to this kind of film, which Polanski has orchestrated with his own testament and tour de force to a time in our history long dead and buried.